FIG. 29 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional automotive air conditioner.
This automotive air conditioner is arranged in a space defined by an instrument panel (not shown), a floor panel Fl, and a fire panel Fi.
The fire panel Fi divides between an engine room ER and a compartment R, while the floor panel forms the floor of the compartment R. The automotive air conditioner and the instrument panel are located within the compartment R.
A steering member S is located between the instrument panel and the automotive air conditioner.
This automotive air conditioner has a casing 501 in which there are accommodated a blower 503, an evaporator 505, an air-mixing door 506, and a heater core 507.
The casing 501 is formed with a defroster outlet d, a vent outlet v, and a foot outlet f.
The defroster outlet d and the vent outlet v are located in an upper part of the casing 501, while the foot outlet f is located in a lower part of the same. Air is blown into the cabin space of the compartment R from the respective outlets d, v, f via ducts (not shown).
On an automotive assembly line, when the automotive air conditioner, the steering member S, and the like are mounted on an automotive vehicle, the automotive air conditioner is mounted first. In doing this, ends of pipes of an evaporator 505 and a heater core 507 are projected via holes of the fire panel into the engine room.
Next, the steering member S is mounted.
Finally, the instrument panel is laid over the steering member S and the automotive air conditioner, and an upper part of the instrument panel is screwed to a cowl, while a lower part of the instrument panel is screwed to the floor panel Fl.
By the way, from the viewpoint of safety in a collision, a vehicle comes into existence which has its steering member S arranged in a location lower than and ahead of the steering member S shown in FIG. 29.
In this kind of vehicle, the space in which the automotive vehicle alone has been installed heretofore is crossed by the steering member S.
As a result, when an attempt is made to first mount the automotive air conditioner on the vehicle, and then mount the steering member S, the steering member S is interfered with the automotive air conditioner, and hence cannot be mounted. Inversely, when an attempt is made to first mount the steering member S on the vehicle, and then mount the automotive air conditioner, the automotive air conditioner is interfered with the steering S and hence cannot be mounted.
As described above, a change in the mounting location of the steering member S has brought about a problem that both the air conditioner and the steering member S cannot be installed on the vehicle.
The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an automotive air conditioner which can cope with a change in the mounting location of the steering member.